Tour of California spoiler

campagchris

Wow what a finish,and high road screwed up big time.

1=Boonen
2=Hausler
3=Cipollini
4=Cavendish as far as I could make out ciolek couldn't stay on cavs wheel :roll:
5=JJ Haedo I think,after puncturing with 4 miles to go what a ride to get back to the front.
great gallop

deejay

campagchris wrote:

Wow what a finish,and high road screwed up big time.

4=Cavendish as far as I could make out ciolek couldn't stay on cavs wheel :
great gallop

Thats about it, I agree.

Somebody is going to be "Sulking" in the High Road bus at the moment.

drenkrom

Ciolek put on the brakes (or he sat up) when he saw everyone was on his wheel and Cav was flying and boy did it work! Too bad they did it a few hundreds meters too soon, but that was one classy move. Had Cav put his head down and pushed it to the end instead up sitting up and looking back, he just might of had that one. Give them a year to polish things off and those two could be an incredible pair. That sprint got me out of my chair. High Road screwed up, but I salute them for trying something like that.

Iain is still on vacation, right?

steephill

drenkrom wrote:

Ciolek put on the brakes (or he sat up) when he saw everyone was on his wheel and Cav was flying and boy did it work! Too bad they did it a few hundreds meters too soon, but that was one classy move. Had Cav put his head down and pushed it to the end instead up sitting up and looking back, he just might of had that one. Give them a year to polish things off and those two could be an incredible pair. That sprint got me out of my chair. High Road screwed up, but I salute them for trying something like that.

Iain is still on vacation, right?

Yup, great finish. It looked like a planned move to me too. Haedo almost pulled a Robbie McEwen come from behind win.

correction: After viewing cycling.tv's call, I agree with Brian Smith. Gerald Ciolek fell off of Mark Cavendish's wheel.

I have a stage recap and video links on my tour of california dashboard:
http://www.steephill.tv/tour-of-califor ... sults-2008

victorponf

Cipollini 3th, what a man! 42 years??

campagchris

JJ Haedo did marvelous to get back on,but I bet Cav is kicking himself he had loads of speed and it should have been Ciolek leading him out.Fantastic gallop to watch though.Lets hope we have many gallop's featuring Cav this year mixing it with the big boys.

jimmythecuckoo

Go Cipo! - Unless he is being a dope.

Moose11

I never realised Cippo was making a comeback... Thats great to see the old-timer school some of the younger guys. Would be sweet to see him win a stage.

campagchris

Boonen blamed Cipo for letting a gap go

Moomaloid

Steephill what a fantastic site! I hope you're doing this all year Well done, you made my night tonight with all these clips

drenkrom

Did you see my man Dom go?!?! What a ride.

Please someone bring this guy to Europe so he stops ripping the legs off us on training runs.

calvjones

OK, is it me or is it astonishing that Cancellara got over Stage 3 within 20 secs of Levi? Or was it a case of being dropped and TTing his way back with Millar et al?

GC in the bag then!

afx237vi

calvjones wrote:

OK, is it me or is it astonishing that Cancellara got over Stage 3 within 20 secs of Levi? Or was it a case of being dropped and TTing his way back with Millar et al?

GC in the bag then!

It is pretty impressive, but I was more surprised that the group didn't catch Leipheimer and Gesink. I mean, Millar, Zabriskie and Cancellara all taking equal turns at the front and they still couldn't catch them...

One other thing that impressed me: Oscar Freire finishing in the second group on the road? I know he's always been the best climber out of the sprinters, but he was saying in the press conference how out of shape he was! Right now he's higher on GC than many of the pre-race favourites.

calvjones

Seems like Petacchi has been upping his climbing too. Maybe the Worlds & Olympic courses having an influence?

Moomaloid

Hey afx that was the first thing i thought yesterday, damn man how sad is it that already i found myself questioning a guy from Astana and a guy from Rabobank staying away like that, especially when u watch the interview with Horner who says the the group were all going balls out!...

As far as these guys getting over the climbs, we're not exactly talking col's here are we and its so early season that the level of fitness on all is down, so i'm not so surprised they are keeping up.

LangerDan

Moomaloid wrote:

Hey afx that was the first thing i thought yesterday, damn man how sad is it that already i found myself questioning a guy from Astana and a guy from Rabobank staying away like that, especially when u watch the interview with Horner who says the the group were all going balls out!...

As far as these guys getting over the climbs, we're not exactly talking col's here are we and its so early season that the level of fitness on all is down, so i'm not so surprised they are keeping up.

Don't forget that the gallopers need to be on form already for the Spring Classics. The GT riders have a few months yet to be ready

deejay

Moomaloid wrote:

Hey afx that was the first thing i thought yesterday, damn man how sad is it that already i found myself questioning a guy from Astana and a guy from Rabobank staying away like that, especially when u watch the interview with Horner who says the the group were all going balls out!...

As far as these guys getting over the climbs, we're not exactly talking col's here are we and its so early season that the level of fitness on all is down, so i'm not so surprised they are keeping up.

What with HET VOLK next weekend and then a multitude of Belgian Races to follow up to the Tour of FLANDERS a MONTH later . !!!!!!!!!!

sing_for_absolution

I don't like Leipheimer.

afx237vi

Neither do I.

iainf72

sing_for_absolution wrote:

I don't like Leipheimer.

Any particular reason?

Or is it like my "no specific reason" dislike of Wiggins?

micron

I don't like Leipheimer because he's one of those riders that is rude and obnoxious except when there's a camera pointed his way then he's all smarm and smiles - a totally false man.

dave_1

micron wrote:

I don't like Leipheimer because he's one of those riders that is rude and obnoxious except when there's a camera pointed his way then he's all smarm and smiles - a totally false man.

Have you met him?

afx237vi

I don't dislike him as a person, but he's just a very boring rider. Cadel Evans is more exciting. Plus he has a REALLY ugly bike-riding style.

micron

Yes, when he was riding for Rabobank at the Tour of Poitou-Charentes. And I have American friends who worked on last year's ToC who confirmed what I thought of him.

dave_1

micron wrote:

Yes, when he was riding for Rabobank at the Tour of Poitou-Charentes. And I have American friends who worked on last year's ToC who confirmed what I thought of him.

WHat did he do :?:

micron

My son asked for an autograph, he ignored him and pushed past him, then when someone pointed a camera at him he was all smiles signing autographs. All other riders have always been happy to sign camera or no camera. My friends in America confirm he is very surly and uncooperative unless there is good PR in it for him.

dave_1

micron wrote:

My son asked for an autograph, he ignored him and pushed past him, then when someone pointed a camera at him he was all smiles signing autographs. All other riders have always been happy to sign camera or no camera. My friends in America confirm he is very surly and uncooperative unless there is good PR in it for him.

fair enough...sounds not a great experience. I rarely approach pros, rarely did I mean, but found the notoriously prickly character Robert Millar to be be perfectly friendly, yet heard some very bad reports of Robert telling a fan to %#~" #*/ it depends when they're approached.

drenkrom

WOW! While everyone ws on Ciolek's whell, Cav came screaming past. Great sprint for High Horse.

afx237vi

Even better when you consider Cavendish crashed with what, 10km to go?! Great attack by Millar on the final lap too.

drenkrom

Yep. You Brits got some bragging rights today. They expire in 24 hours.

guv001

Stage 6 - February 23: Santa Barbara - Santa Clarita, 109 mi / 175 km
Provisional Results
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) High Road
2 Luciano André Pagliarini Mendonca (Bra) Saunier Duval-Scott
3 Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) Team CSC

General classification after stage 6
1 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana